Automatic closure apparatus for couplable railway car facilities



Nov. 23, 1965 K. L. DE PENTI AUTOMATIC CLOSURE APPARATUS FOR COUPLABLE RAILWAY CAR FACILITIES Filed Nov. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

Nov. 23, 1965 K. DE PENTI AUTOMATIC CLOSURE APPARATUS FOR COUPLABLE RAILWAY CAR FACILITIES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 29, 1961 llllli INVENTOR.

United States Patent 0 M 3 219 964 AUTOMATIC CLGSUIEE APPARATUS FOR C01]- PLABLE RAILWAY CAR FACILITIES Kenneth L. De Penti, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, assignor, by inesne assignments, to Midland Ross Corporation,

Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 29, 19M, Ser. No. 155,561 7 Claims. (Cl. 33943) The present invention relates to an apparatus for protecting the faces of couplable devices which are carried into coupling relationship along a predetermined path, for example, by two railway cars movable along a common track. The invention is concerned particularly with closure or protective apparatus providing one or more doors and an actuating system therefor mounted on each device.

The invention is useful in a broad sense, in protecting devices such as couplers and all manner of service-line connections which are placed in abutting, mating, or interlocked relationship by a bufiing operation. For purposes of description, the invention is described herein with respect to car-to-car connectors of electrical circuits. It is important to protect the faces of these connectors from any deposition of dirt, ice, or other material that might interfere with effective car-to-car electrical transmission. Also, these electrical connectors need to be protected against accidental contact therewith of any objects or material which can produce short circuiting. Furthermore, exposed electrical connectors are an electrocution hazard to personnel.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide closure apparatus particularly adapted for use on railway vehicles which may be actuated automatically through yieldable parts of the apparatus on opposed couplable devices being brought into buifing engagement.

Another object is to provide automatically adjustable support for the device embodying the closure apparatus providing last-stage gathering function in conjunction with first and major-stage alignment mechanism of the coupler or other structure on which the device is mounted.

It is also an object to assist in achieving the above-mentioned gathering function by structure which effects final engagement of service-line ends in straight line movement devoid of relative sidewise frictional movement of opposed face elements such as electrical terminals.

A further object is to mount the closure actuating mechanism entirely on the body of the device without mechanical connection of such mechanism with the support for the body.

It is also an object to provide closure apparatus for couplable devices of which their actual use does not permit storage of an opened closure therefor overhead or underneath the device.

Another object is to provide a support for face-to-face protected service-line connectors which adapted the connectors for use on vehicles equipped with car couplers which are not of the tight-lock type, i.e., with couplers such as the F-type knuckle coupler, which undergo small angling and transverse movements relative to intercoupled couplers.

These objects and others are apparent from the description below and are generally achieved in a couplable device embodying a closure for its front face, and actuating mechanism for the closure capable of actuating a similar mechanism on another such device and being actuated thereby; and further: in the combination or" this device together with its closure apparatus with a resilient support for the device cooperating with a body thereof to achieve centering of the device with respect to an opposed similar device abutted therewith. The body of the device terminates in a forward face portion adapted to abut with 3,219,964 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 the face portion of a similar device. The faces of both devices are symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane containing in an approximate manner the longitudinal axes thereof. In addition to the body, the connector comprises: at least one face-protecting door; structure for pivotally connecting the door with the body whereby the door may move from a position in juxtaposed face-to-face relation with the face portion to a position placing it laterally of the body entirely out of forward alignment with the face portion; an actuator for the door at one side of the plane, preferably underneath the body; guiding structure on the body and the actuator cooperating to limit the actuator to reciprocal movement relative to the body in its forward and rearward direction; an abutment fixed to the body on the other side of the vertical plane and closely thereto in horizontal relation with the actuator; and cam structure on the door and the actuator placing the door in following relationship with the actuator whereby the door is caused to swing from frontward of the body to a lateral and rearward position as the actuator moves rearwardly.

In the drawing in respect to which the invention is described:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a service-line connector and a support therefor with the doors of the connector closed.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the apparatus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are perspective and bottom views, respectively, illustrating the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 3 with the door actuator retracted sufficiently to fully open the doors but with the connector in a forward position within its support.

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary perspective view showing normally juxtaposed portions of the connector and the support separated for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the door shown at left in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the actuator for both doors.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the apparatus of FIGS. 1 to 5 showing the connector retracted rearwardly within its support and the doors fully open.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of two connectors in relatively spaced positions which may occur just prior to passing into engaged abutting relationship.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation in partial section illustrating the connectors in positions similar to that of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a transverse section of the connector and the support of the previous figures taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 2 with parts of the closure apparatus not included.

FIG. '12 is a plan view of the lower member of the connector support.

FIG. 13 is a front fragmentary elevation of the connector partially in section illustrating primarily downwardly projecting brackets for receiving the actuator of FIG. 7.

The invention is illustrated and described hereinbelow with respect to a single embodiment. The apparatus shown in the various assembly views of the drawing comprises an electrical service-line connector 4 and a support 5 therefor having an upper cross-tie 6 apertured at 7 adapting it to be fastened to a vehicle. The support also has a lower cross-tie 8. In one intended use of the connector 4 together with the support 5, the apparatus is fixedly mounted to the underside of a coupler or other equipment associated with the coupler in order that the gathering facilities of the coupler may be utilized in bringing opposing connectors together. Final accurate alignment of the connectors is obtained through telescoping the front structure of both connectors to effect their final facial abutting relationship. For the purposes of this description, it is sufiicient to known without describing the internal structure of the connector 4 that it is used to establish electrical circuits from car-to-car and that the electrical conducting media of which the connectors are comprised terminate as the nine terminals shown in the face 11 of face portion 12 of the body 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 11, the body 14 when disengaged from another connector seats in a forward portion of the support 5. The connector is urged into this position by resilient means, such as a spring 16 positioned in a state of initial compression between a rear surface 17 of the connector body 14 and a front facing surface 18 of a rear transverse Wall 19 of the support.

The support 5 is of gene-rally U-shape construction in plan when assembled and comprises upper and lower members 21 and 22 which are fastened together by bolts 23. These upper and lower members together form transversely spaced lateral walls 25 and 26, and the rear wall 19. The spring 16 is disposed in concentric relation with a hollow stem of the connector protruding centrally along its longitudinal axis rearwardly from the rear connector surface 17. The stem 15 extends through an aperture 27 of the wall 19 slightly oversize with respect to the stem to permit a small amount of angling movement of the connector body 14 relative to the rearward support wall 19.

The support 5 when assembled, as shown in the various figures, defines a semi-cupulate pocket, i.c., pockets 28 and 29, in each lateral wall 25, 26. These pockets are designated as concave in a vertical transverse cross-section of the support. The term concave as used herein means any arrangement by which the sides of a depression slope inwardly toward a central point or line of maximum depth, whether the sloping sides of the depression be curved, or polygonal. Preferably, the pockets 28 and 29 are formed of upper and lower flat areas meeting in a dihedral angle along the parting plane YY of the support members 21 and 22. Each pair of upper and lower flat areas forming pocket 28 or 29 is designated by numeral 31b or 32b, respectively.

In a manner complementary to the pockets 28 and 29, the lateral surfaces 31 and 32 of the rearward portion of the connector body 14 bulge outwardly in increasing extent progressively rearward along the body to provide forwardly tapered protrusions herein broadly designated as convex in transverse vertical cross-section. The term convex designates curved as well as flat surfaces which may cooperate as areas which in aggregate define the lateral protrusions of the body 14. Preferably, surfaces 31 and 32 each comprise upper and lower flat areas 31a or 32a, respectively, which meet in a dihedral angle not greater than the angle of the adjacent concave support surface 31b or 32b, respectively.

By the surface arrangment just described, the pockets 28 and 29 cooperate to define a greater pocket or region between the spaced support walls 25 and 26 in which the rearward portion of the connector body 14 may seat as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the body is movable rearwardly out of seating position to establish such clearances between the support and the connector body as to enable the latter to engage in angling motion relative to the rear wall 19. Such clearances are illustrated in FIG. 8 at 35 and 36. This figure depicts the connector in its normally operative condition in abutment with another similar connector 38 shown in dot-dash outline. It is through this structural arrangement of the connector and its support that relative adjustment resulting in final preeise engagement of opposing connectors is obtained. Satisfactory engagement is not, as a practical matter, obtainable solely through precision in the mounting of a connector or its support on the coupler.

Gathering action of two opposing couplers in a small final stage is obtained by structure of the face portion of the body 14 most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10.

From various figures of the drawing, particularly FIG. 4, a vertical longitudinal plane XX and a horizontal longitudinal plane Y-Y may be observed as dividing the face portion 12 of the connector into quadrants. In each of one pair of alternate quadrants, the face portion 12 has a recess along its entire periphery in that quadrant. For example, observing FIG. 4, a recess 41 exists in the upper right quadrant at the periphery of the face 11. A similar recess 42 is found in the lower left quadrant. On the other alternate quadrants, i.e., the upper left and the lower right, the periphery of the face portion 12 comprises flanges 43 and 44. These flanges are adapted to fit within and mate with the surfaces of recesses 41 and 42 of an opposing connector. To facilitate the mating of such flanges and recesses, the flanges and recesses are tapered in respective directions away from the plane of the face 11 in FIGS. 9 and 10. Such tapering of the flanges is observable at 46, 47, 48. Tapering of the recesses is observable at 51, 52, 53, and 54. It is to be noted that the straight surfaces 56 of the recesses, and the straight surfaces 57 of the flanges cause the final movement of the connectors into engaged relationship to be limited to the longitudinal direction of the connectors and to thus avoid any scufiing of frictional contact as the terminals 10 of opposed connectors come together.

An essential feature of this invention is in the provision of doors 60 and 61, which, when closed, protect the face of the connector from weather conditions and various service conditions, including the possibility of short-circuiting by extraneous conductive materials which might come in contact with the terminals 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the doors are hinged with respect to vertical and hence parallel axes 63 and 64 in fixed relation with the body 14. In the embodiments shown, these axes are spaced rearwardly of the face portion 12 for a substantial portion of the length of the body 14. One reason for this is that the doors are required to swing to lateral positions in which they clear the structures of the support 5 as the connector is forced rearwardly relative to the support. Hence, the panel portions 60a, 61a are connected by legs 64 and 65 to upper pivot bosses 66 and lower pivot bosses 67. The apertured spur 68 on the leg 65 is to be particularly noted as a part of the mechanism by which door 61 (and in a similar fashion the door 60) is swung between a closed position (see FIGS. 1, 2, and 3) and an open position (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 8).

The means for swinging the doors is an actuator 70 shown separately in FIG. 7. The actuator comprises a buffer plate 71, a stop bar 72, a guide rod 73, a right arm 74, and a left arm 75. The arms 74 and are connected to the buffer plate and the stop bar, respectively. In order to place the slots 74a and 75a in position for receiving pins 78 and 79 integral with the spur portions of the lower door legs, both right and left legs of the actuator extend from respective bases in a vertical direction at their forward ends and then obliquely laterally and rearwardly substantially beyond the lateral extremities of the buffer plate 71 and the bar 72, respectively. In the extreme lateral portions of the arms 74 and 75 are the aforementioned slots which are elongated in the transverse direction of the connector to accommodate the lateral movement of the pins 78 and 79 during rotation of the doors.

Secured along the underside of the body 14 and, preferably, cast integrally therewith is an abutment 80 adapted for engaging the actuator 70 of a similar opposed connector. The abutment comprises a forward bulfing block 81 and a rearward extending guide wall 82 of which its outer surface is flush with the outer surface of the block 81 to form the surface 83. The block 81 joins the body 14 along its front underportion as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Just rearwardly of the block 81, the body 14 has an integral depending bracket 85 which is also connected rigidly with the wall 82. The bracket 85 has a slot 86 which is elongate in a transverse horizontal direction and complementary to a transverse cross-section of the buffer plate 71. The bracket 85 thus serves as a guide for the forward portion, i.e., the abutment plate 71 of the actuator 70. The portion 87 of the bracket 85 is immediately rearward of the block 81 of the abutment 80 and serves as a stop for engaging the actuator stop bar 72 to thus limit the forward movement of the actuator, as shown in FIG. 3.

The support 5 comprises another bracket 90 integral with and depending from a rear end portion of the support. The bracket 94 has an aperture 91 for receiving the stem or rod 73 of the actuator along an axis contained in an approximate manner in the vertical plane X-X. When the actuator is in place in the assembled connector, the bracket 9-0 serves as a rear seat for a spring 92 placed concentrically about the rod 73. The aperture 91 is tapered to permit entry of the rod 7-3 while acutely angled with respect to the bracket 90. In the assembled connector, the spring stands in the state of initial compression between this bracket and its forward seat at the rear surface of the buffer plate 71.

To facilitate incorporation of the actuator into the assembled connector, the bracket 85, shown separately in FIG. 13, may be initially formed without a cleat 93. In the initially formed bracket, the slot 86 is open at the end thereof, later closed by the cleat 93. With the slot 3 6 thus open at the left end, the actuator, with the spring placed on its rod 73, may be brought into position at the left side of the bracket 85 as viewed in FIG. 13. At first, the slot 86 receives a stop bar in order to get the actuator in a more longitudinally aligned position facilitating the entry of the rod 73 into the aperture of the bracket 90. With the stem entered into this aperture, the actuator is forced rearwardly until the bar 72 clears the right end of the slot 86. At this point the actuator may be swung to the left into its normal axial position wherein the buffer plate 71 fully occupies the slot 86. Thereafter, the cleat 93 is welded over the left end of the slot 86 along the dotted line 94 to complete the bracket as shown.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the buffing block 81 and the actuator plate 71 project forwardly of the closed doors 60 and 61 at uncoupled condition of the connector 4. This arrangement assures that the actuator and buffing block of one coupler will engage the buffing block and actuator of an opposing coupler while the closed doors of both couplers are still several inches apart. During subsequent approachment of the connectors, the actuator of each connector is forced rearwardly relative to its parent connector to open the doors before the doors of one connector have any opportunity to interfere with the opening motion of the doors of the other connector. It is not essential that the front surfaces of the abutment 80 and the actuator 70 be relatively disposed precisely as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Either surface may conceivably be frontward of the other but the mean or average disposition of both surfaces must be substantially frontward of the plane occupied by the door panels at closed position to provide satisfactory opening of the doors.

In operation, rear movement of the actuator causes its arms 74 and 75 to push rearwardly on the pins 68 projecting into the arm slots 74a and 75a. While moving rearwardly, the pins 78 and 79 fixed to the door arms 65 move longitudinally of the slots and thus cam or rotate the doors to an open position shown in FIG. 8. If the opposed coupler is withdrawn, the actuator is shoved forwardly by the spring 92. The actuator carries with it the doors 60 and 6 1 which return to the position of FIGS. 1 to 3.

From the foregoing it is obvious that this invention provides a closure system that is useful for protection of articles in general which are couplable in pairs by bringing the properly oriented articles together along a predetermined path.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or of the portions thereof as fall within the purview of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A service line connector for a railway vehicle having a body terminating in a forward face portion centered with respect to a vertical longitudinal plane of the connector to mate in abutting relation with a face portion of a similar connector, the connector comprising:

(a) a pair of doors adapted to substantially cover said face portion when in a forward position thereof, each door comprising a panel portion juxtaposed to said face portion in said door position, and a pair of vertically-spaced leg members having distal end portions connecting pivotally with the body along the exterior thereof with respect to a vertical axis in fixed relation with the body, said axis spaced rearwardly of the face portion thereby enabling the panel portion of each door to swing from juxtaposition with the body face portion to a position laterally of the body;

(b) an actuator comprising a front-most buffer plate disposed in vertical relation with said body and to one side of said plane, and arm members extending transversely outwardly in opposite directions from said plane, each arm member extending into adjacent relation with a leg member of said door;

(c) each adjacent leg member and arm member comprising interconnecting cam means causing the associated door to pivot in response to movement of the actuator parallel to said plane;

(d) guide means on the body and the actuator limiting the actuator to reciprocal movement relative to the body and parallel to said plane; and

(e) an abutment in fixed relation with the body on the other side of said plane horizontally opposite to the forward-most position of said abutment plate to dispose the abutment and abutment plate in generally equal spacial relation with respect to said plane;

(f) said abutment and said abutment plate having an average projection in the forward direction of the connector greater than that of said doors when positioned to cover said face portion to assure opening of the doors before the coupling of opposed connectors.

2. The service line connector of claim 1 wherein:

(a) each door is pivotable with respect to a separate vertical axis and the axes of the doors are spaced from and separated by said plane.

3. The service line connector of claim 1 wherein said cam means comprises:

(a) a transversely extending slot in one member of each of the two adjacent pairs of arm and leg members, and pin means projecting through the slot from the corresponding other member of each adjacent pair.

4. The service line connector of claim 3 wherein:

(a) each arm member has one of said slots and each leg member supports a pin means.

5. The service line connector of claim 1 wherein the guide means comprises:

(a) a bracket attached to the body and having an aperture within which said abutment plate is received in slidable relation with the bracket, and said abutment is in forward relation with the bracket in juxtaposed transverse relation with the path travelled by the abutment plate.

6. The service line connector of claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises:

(a) a bracket projecting vertically from a rearward portion of the body and having an aperture there- 7 8 through, said actuator comprising a rod extending 1,267,247 5/1918 Meeker 339-43 in rearward relation to said abutment plate parallel 1,422,241 7/1922 Tomlinson 33949 X to said plane and through said aperture. 1,512,968 10/1924 Woernley 33935 7. The service line connector of claim 6 comprising: 1,601,164 9/1926 Farmer 339--43 (a) stop means fixed to the body limiting the actuator 5 1,319,213 8/ 1931 Van Dom 339 43 to a forwardmost position; and 1,821,553 9/1931 Kuhn et a1 339 141 (b) resilient means disposed between said flange and 2 3 007 12/1953 D l 339 49 said abutment plate for urging the actuator 'fOf- 2 700 140 1/1955 Phillips 339 94 Wardly against Said p means- 2 905 922 9 1959 Tuchel 339 141 References Cited by the Examiner 10 3,065,441 11/ 1962 Leonard 339-49 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,208,929 12/1916 Doyle 339 35 X ALBERT KAMPE Prlmary f 1,223,222 4/1917 Tomlinson 339-3s X JOSEPH D. SEERS, Ex miner. 

1. A SERVICE LINE CONNECTOR FOR A RAILWAY VEHICLE HAVING A BODY TERMINATING IN A FORWARD FACE PORTION CENTERED WITH RESPECT TO A VERTICAL LONGITUDINAL PLANE OF THE CONNECTOR TO MATE IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH A FACE PORTION OF A SIMILAR CONNECTOR, THE CONNECTOR COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF DOORSD ADAPTED TO SUBSTANTIALLY COVER SAID FACE PORTION WHEN IN A FORWARD POSITION THEREOF, EACH DOOR COMPRISING A PANEL PORTION JUXTAPOSED TO SAID FACE PORTION IN SAID DOOR POSITION, AND A PAIR OF VERTICALLY-SPACED LEGS MEMBERS HAVING DISTAL END PORTIONS CONNECTING PIVOTALLY WITH THE BODY ALONG THE EXTERIOR THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO A VERTICAL AXIS IN FIXED RELATION WITH THE BODY, SAID AXIS SPACED REARWARDLY OF THE FACE PORTION THEREBY ENABLING THE PANEL PORTION OF EACH DOOR TO SWING FROM JUXTAPOSITION WITH THE BODY FACE PORTION TO A POSITION LATERALLY OF THE BODY; (B) AN ACTUATOR COMPRISING A FRONT-MOST BUFFER PLATE DISPOSED IN VERTICAL RELATION WITH SAID BODY AND TO ONE SIDE OF SAID PLANE, AND ARM MEMBERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OUTWARDLY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID PLANE, EACH ARM MEMBER EXTENDING INTO ADJACENT RELATION WITH A LEG MEMBER OF SAID DOOR; (C) EACH ADJACENT LEG MEMBER AND ARM MEMBER COMPRISING INTERCONNECTING CAM MEANS CAUSING THE ASSOCIATED DOOR TO PIVOT IN RESPONSE TO MOVEMENT TO THE ACTUATOR PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE; (D) GUIDE MEANS ON THE BODY AND THE ACTUATOR LIMITING THE ACTUATOR TO RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BODY AND PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE; AND (E) AN ABUTMENT IN FIXED RELATION WITH THE BODY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PLANE HORIZONTALLY OPPOSITE TO THE FORWARD-MOST POSITION OF SAID ABUTMENT PLATE TO DISPOSE THE ABUTMENT AND ABUTMENT PLATE IN GENERALLY EQUAL SPACIAL RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLANE; (F) SAID ABUTMENT AND SAID ABUTMENT PLATE HAVING AN AVERAGE PROJECTION IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION OF THE CONNECTOR GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID DOORS WHEN POSITIONED TO COVER SAID FACE PORTION TO ASSURE OPENING OF THE DOORS BEFORE THE COUPLING OF OPPOSED CONNECTORS. 